Members of the West Hartford Fire Department had a chance to thank Denis Leary in person for a grant received from his foundation in 2023.

By Ronni Newton

Actor Denis Leary may not be an actual firefighter, but he has played one on TV and in the past decade his foundation has donated more than $3.5 million to support fire departments throughout the country.

Some actual firefighters who have benefited from those grant monies – 20 men and women from the West Hartford Fire Department – had a unique chance in January to surprise Leary while he was taping an episode of Drew Barrymore’s TV show in New York City.

Denis Leary established the Leary Firefighters Foundation in 2000. The Worcester, Massachusetts native lost his cousin and a childhood best friend, who were among the six firefighters – the “Worcester Six” – who tragically lost their lives while battling a blaze in an abandoned warehouse in late 1999.

Leary later went on to create and star as New York City firefighter Tommy Galvin in the FX series “Rescue Me,” which was also inspired by 9/11.

And knowing of Leary’s long-standing support of the fire service, one of the topics Barrymore wanted to talk about during the episode recorded on Jan. 14 was the the California wildfires, which at the time were topping headlines as they continued to burn out of control in the Los Angeles area.

Deputy Chief Adam Pacheco said that Keith Albert, who had just retired as a deputy chief of the West Hartford Fire Department, had a contact who worked on the show. That served as the connection when Barrymore wanted to also highlight the work that the Leary Firefighters Foundation has been doing, as well as speak about the best and safest way to support first responders in the Los Angeles.

“It was kind of an out of the blue thing,” Pacheco told We-Ha.com. “We received the call to surprise Denis Leary. He was our benefactor and we wanted to have the opportunity to say thank you.”

“Firefighters never go on strike. As a result, they are often an easy target for government budget cuts. This is where The Leary Firefighters Foundation steps in. We help these heroes by building state-of-the-art training facilities, buying cutting-edge vehicles and supplying modern technology and tools to firehouses and departments across the country. Such equipment not only saves the lives of these brave men and women but increases the odds that they can save ours,” the Leary Firefighters Foundation website states.

Pacheco, at the time a captain, had applied for the $25,000 grant from the Leary Firefighters Foundation to purchase “bail-out kits,” to outfit every firefighter in the department with tools that could help them extract themselves from being trapped in life-threatening situations.

The kits include a  hook/anchor, rope, and a device that attaches to a window sill and allows for safe and rapid descent from higher levels of a building. The need for the equipment was first prompted by an scenario in 2019, when Apparatus Operator Nikhom “Eddie” Keopraseuth issued a “mayday” call when he became trapped on the upper level of a burning home without safe means of egress. In that particular situation, he was able to get out through a window and land on the porch roof below.

“Eddie had kind of a scary moment when he had to get out of a fire,” Pacheco said last week. “It highlighted a need for us to equip ourselves differently.”

The equipment was specced out, Pacheco said, and the department had already obtained new turnout gear with the right type of pockets to hold the bail-out kits, but it just wasn’t yet in the department’s budget. “We were searching for a way to fill the gap, and then during COVID our budgets were blown.”

The kits remained on the back burner until Pacheco learned of the grant opportunity from the Leary Firefighters Foundation and applied to be able to obtain the equipment that now provides the town’s firefighters with the most modern and efficient tools to keep them safe. “Denis Leary came through, and generously outfitted all of us with bail-out kits,” said Pacheco.

Proper use of the kits is now part of the training regimen that all department members undergo.

And while firefighters are used to dealing with situations that nearly anyone would find scary, Pacheco said appearing on the Drew Barrymore show was “nerve-wracking,” particularly since they were surprising Leary and didn’t know in advance all of the questions they would be asked or how the conversation would transpire.

While there were 20 West Hartford Fire Department members on the show, Pacheco said since he and Albert were the ones who sat on the couch with Barrymore and Leary, and spoke during the episode, they had to go through “hair and makeup” before the taping. Pacheco said he was surprised to see just how many people it takes to produce a TV show.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but it was a very nice experience,” Pacheco said.

“It gave us the opportunity to say thank you to Denis,” said Pacheco. And Albert provided some advice on donating to fundraisers related to the Los Angeles fires. “Make sure you vet them. Make sure they’re legitimate,” Albert said on the show.

“One place that we know is a safe, sure bet it your charity,” Barrymore said, referring to the Leary Firefighters Foundation.

“These are the real heroes. These are the stars,” Leary said, as the audience applauded.

The Drew Barrymore Show airs locally on WCTX, and this episode was shown on Tuesday, Jan. 28. A portion of the interview can be seen in the below clip from the Leary Firefighters Foundation Facebook page.

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